Photo of upper Merced River, Yosemite National Park, CA

Upper Merced River Fishing
Yosemite National Park


Upper Merced River Fishing

Yosemite National Park

Map

Excellent fishing is found along the upper Merced River as it cascades and meanders for 8 miles from Merced Lake, through Little Yosemite Valley, and then plunges off Nevada Fall. From a backpacking base camp in Little Yosemite Valley, anglers can work their way up the river, casting into gently flowing waters in meadows, deep pools at the base of cascades, and small pockets in rushing gorges. Most spots are easily accessible from the trail that leads up the canyon.

The upper Merced River has both rainbow and brown trout. Early in the season melting snow swells the river, making it both difficult and sometimes dangerous to fish. The best fishing is from mid-summer through fall.

Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California

Upper Merced River

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Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California

Upper Merced River

In My Creel

  • #14 Hare's Ear nymph
  • #20 Pheasant Tail nymph
  • #14 Adams
  • Tan Elk Hair Caddis Fly
  • Salmon eggs
  • Luhr Jensen tiger Tail

For fishing the upper Merced River, I took some nymphs and flies, ready for a variety of conditions. I also packed along my spin casing outfit with some barbless hook lures to try my luck in some of the deeper pools and across wide sections of the river. I didn't get to Merced Lake, but I have heard it is far more heavily fished than the river.

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Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California

Upper Merced River

Merced Lake High Sierra Camp

One of Yosemite's High Sierra Camps is located at Merced Lake. The 7.8-mile hike from Yosemite Valley to the camp is very strenuous, so most visitors include the camp as part of a longer backpacking trip. Read details at Yosemite High Sierra Camps.


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A Backpacker's Guide
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Sierra Nevada Destinations

Making Your Way to the Upper Merced River in Yosemite

The shortest way to reach Little Yosemite Valley is to hike from Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley up a steep, 4.3-mile trail. The spectacular scenery of Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall along the way help to make the trip more enjoyable. Alternative approaches can be made from trailheads on Glacier Point Road, but the park requires backpackers from those starting points to camp somewhere along the way the first night out, not in Little Yosemite Valley. Wilderness permits are required and can be hard to obtain for this popular area. Plan your trip well in advance and apply online for a permit at the first opportunity (168 days in advance of your departure).
Yosemite National Park Wilderness Permits

Little Yosemite Valley Fishing

The Merced River meanders through Little Yosemite Valley, providing many nice spots for anglers to try their luck. A recent forest fire swept through the valley, upstream from the Little Yosemite Valley camping area to Bunnell Cascade. While the landscape in the valley may have a ghostly appearance with so many dead trees, the river is still great for fishing.

Up to the Cascades

Two miles upstream from the camping area is the first cascade, water gushing down a smooth granite slope and spilling into a large, inviting pool. Fishing is good here. Bunnell Cascade, similar to the first cascade, is another mile up the trail. Excellent fishing is found there as well. Adventurous anglers can find many inviting spots along the river between the two cascades.

Above the Cascades

The trail climbs into a gorge above Bunnell Cascade, making access more challenging. The best fishing opportunities are 2 miles up the canyon in Echo Valley and then another 2 miles up at Merced Lake. The lake has rainbow and brook trout, but most catches are brown trout.

Lodging and Camping

Lodging is available, of course, in Yosemite Valley at Yosemite Lodge, Camp Curry and the Ahwahnee Hotel. Make reservations early. Another option is the Wawona Hotel, 4 miles inside the park's southern entrance. You can save money by staying outside the park in nearby El Portal where there are several excellent, large motels or outside the park on either Highways 41 or 120.

Campgrounds abound in Yosemite, but finding an empty campsite is difficult during peak season. About half of Yosemite National Park's campgrounds are on a reservation system. Reservations for them are essential from April through September. The first-come, first-serve campgrounds usually fill up by noon during busy times.

California's Best Camping

For complete information about campgrounds around Yosemite, see

California's Best Camping website logo

Camping in Little Yosemite Valley

Backpackers staying overnight in Little Yosemite Valley must stay in the designated camping area. There are no defined campsites, so everyone just pitches their tent wherever they can find a space amidst a maze of logs. Although it feels somewhat like camping in a crowded campground in the valley, nearly everyone nods off to sleep by 9:00 PM. Most campers there are headed out with early morning starts for Half Dome or up the John Muir Trail.

The camping area has a composting-toilet building with multiple stalls. Water from the nearby river has to be filtered. Bear boxes are abundant. Two communal campfire circles are available, but no other open fires are permitted.

Fishing Supplies

On your way to Fishing Yosemite on the Merced River you can pick up fishing supplies at

  • Yosemite Village Sport Shop, Yosemite Valley
  • Curry Village Mountain Shop, Yosemite Valley
  • The General Store in Wawona, Tuolumne Meadows or Crane Flat
  • Yosemite Rivers Fly Shop, Highway 41, Oakhurst
  • Sportsmen's Den, Highway 41, Oakhurst
  • Lucky Logger Liquors, 5188 No. Highway 49, Mariposa